Since Madam Zheng was a busy person, she got her second husband to show Baron the changes that they all had a part in. There were quite a few. First off, the chain of command was changed from having 3 main tiers to 7 tiers so that the more loyal and powerful ones would be able to be rewarded more than those who weren’t. Also, the chain of command and relaying messages system was greatly improved. The Second was explaining this and all of the various other changes just as a commotion was starting to begin spreading through the entire faction. This commotion was not the good kind as they had been harboring someone with ill-intent for quite some time. Apparently, Zi Bo had broken into the treasury and stole a few blueprints before escaping.
Zi Bo was the elder brother of Zi Ji Ge, and in this circumstance, she did not appear to be in on the plan. That was why she was still in the faction while her brother escaped to who knows where. At the moment, Baron could see, in the distance, that Zi Ji Ge was getting cornered by a few of the members of the Forever Pirates. Baron looked at the Second and they both knew that they had to go find out what was happening. They both made their way down while all they could hear was the insults and shouting getting louder with each step that they took.
(H2) “What is the meaning of all of this?” The Second asked while signaling the group to give him a little room.
(H1) “Second, it turns out that Zi Bo was a traitor. He stole a few of our blueprints while we were doing rotation shifts for the treasury and since there was no precedent for this no one was really paying attention.” The First answered the Second’s question.
(BM) “What? Zi Bo did that?” Baron said in disbelief.
(H1) “Oh, it’s you.” He said with a bit of rudeness in his tone.
“Zi Ji Ge is the brother of that traitor Zi Bo, she must also have something to do with her brother’s nasty plans!”
“Yeah! We must punish her to the fullest extent of our faction’s rules. Even the First agrees.”
(BM) “Hold on just a moment now, I believe that all of you are letting your emotions and factionalism get ahold of your logic decisions.”
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(H1) “What do you mean?”
(BM) “If she was still in the faction while her brother escaped, doesn’t that mean that she had nothing to do with her brother’s actions?”
(ZJG) “Wait, don’t I get a say in all of this?” Zi Ji Ge said with a bit of a razzled voice.
(BM) “Now might not be the best time, Zi Ji Ge. They will use anything and everything you say to incriminate you.”
(ZJG) “I just wanted to say that what Baron says is true. My brother and I applied to be elders here since we were tired of being by ourselves out in the community. Never would I have thought that Zi Bo had such intentions. On his behalf, please-”
(H1) “Look here, girl. It doesn’t matter what your intentions are. The actions of your brother have been proven without a doubt to be true. In his stead, you will be punished.”
(H2) “Just a moment, First. You do not have the authority to punish her, only Madam Zheng does.”
(H1) “Fine, Zi Ji Ge, Baron, Second, let us all go get her verdict.”
The 4 of them left the group behind and made their way to where Madam Zheng was. She had already heard of the news through messengers, and she was furious. As soon as they all met, she was staring daggers at Zi Ji Ge.
(BM) “Madam Zheng, before you say anything, how about I take her to my faction and we let everything calm down. The blueprints are gone, there is nothing we can do about it now. Why don’t you let her go, the one you want is Zi Bo. Try to capture him or something.”
(ZJG) “What?”
(MZ) “I am fuming at the actions of your brother. However, we need to contain the news before it damages our reputation. As much as I’d like to punish you, doing that will make us look like villains to the ones who hear of this incident.”
(BM) “Not to mention, the more time you spend here, the more time that Zi Bo has to escape.”
(MZ) “Take her out of here, I never wish to see or hear of her again, Baron.”
(BM) “You got it.”
(H1) “So we will just let it go like that? Shouldn’t we make an example out of her?”
(MZ) “No, that will give our enemies something to use against us. Plus, Baron, I will have Roxi go to your HQ instead of you two meeting here.”
(BM) “As you wish. Come on, Zi Ji Ge, let’s go.”
(ZJG) “Ok.” She said as she turned around to head out with Baron. Right now she was almost on the verge of tears. The betrayal of her brother and being kicked out of the Forever Pirates faction was just a little too much to take in right now. Both of them had made it out of the faction’s territory before Baron said anything.
(BM) “Zi Ji Ge, it’s alright. No matter what your brother has done, I’m sure that he never meant to hurt you.”
(ZJG) “I know, it’s just that now I have nothing of his that I can remember him by.”
(BM) “Oh, hold on, I have just the thing. Here is a book on naval warfare that he gave to me just before the naval tournament a few decades ago.”
(ZJG) “I had no idea my brother had something like this.” She said as she opened it up to the first page.
(BM) “Oh yes, your brother said to give this book to you if I didn’t get the chance to return it to him. Do you know what all of these nordic looking runes mean?”
(ZJG) “Wait this says…”